AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip Participants Share Their Experiences
No. 84
WASHINGTON, DC —The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is releasing 11 essays authored by the participants of the 16th annual American Hellenic Institute Foundation College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Washington, DC, Greece, and Cyprus.
The students’ insightful essays describe their firsthand experiences from the trip to Greece and Cyprus held June 11 to 29, 2024. During the 18-day program, the students first visited Cyprus, June 15 to June 20, and Athens, June 22 to 29. They also took a daytrip to Souda Bay, Crete, on June 21. Prior to departing for overseas, the students spent four days in Washington, DC. They received in-depth briefings about the foreign policy issues affecting Greece and Cyprus, their relations with the U.S., and the interests of the U.S. in the region.
“Through our AHI Foundation, we are pleased and proud that the community’s next generation of leaders experienced another successful outcome with our sixteenth annual college student foreign policy trip,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “They took every advantage of the unique opportunities presented by the program to learn about the foreign policy issues that are important to the Greek American community and United States interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. We look forward to their future contributions to the community as well as continuing to grow our program to new heights.”
I Found It in Cyprus
Iliana Tzafolias
Israel. Syria. Lebanon. You’ve heard of them, right? So has every other college student majoring in international relations. Scholars care about this region of the world. Much academic coursework is devoted to understanding the security concerns of this region, but little attention is given to the role of Greece and Cyprus as stable allies in such instability. What about Greece’s military contribution as a critical NATO ally in the region? What about Cyprus’s strategic geopolitical location only approximately 250 kilometers from Lebanon and approximately 500 kilometers from Israel and Syria?
I hope to one day become a professor of international relations, but this last year of college raised many questions in my mind about what specific topic of study I wanted to devote myself to in graduate school. I was struggling to find a topic that not only interested me, but actually meant something to me–a topic that resonated with me on a personal level and that would spark some change in perspective within the academy. Long story short, the AHIF Foreign Policy Trip gave me my answer.
As a Greek American who closely identifies with her ethnic background and a student of European politics, I honestly must admit, I am slightly ashamed of how little I understood about the security concerns and geopolitical importance of this region. Greece and Cyprus are stable allies in such an unstable and unpredictable region of the world. Their role is undervalued and their potential, underestimated. It was this trip that allowed me to see their true geopolitical significance.
On this trip, we students were able to gain such a true understanding of, and passion for, the topics at hand because we were not only hearing about and reading about the issues–we were living them. We all knew prior to this trip that there was a portion of Cyprus that the Turkish state illegally occupies; but we hadn’t felt the shift towards an unsettling eeriness upon crossing the U.N. buffer zone. We hadn’t read the countless Greek Cypriot names on the desecrated tombstones. We hadn’t venerated the patron saint of Cyprus, St. Barnabas, whose holy relics are kept in an abandoned, unattended church. We hadn’t witnessed the pompous display of Turkish nationalism on the Pentadaktylos Mountain Range. We hadn’t walked the U.N. buffer zone filled with artistic expressions recounting the atrocities that occurred. With our own eyes and ears, we understood and felt the present threat that this conflict from fifty years ago still poses to the region.
Such an experience can prove life-changing for a young Greek American or Cypriot American. I know for myself it was. I finally found my topic–the area of studies to which I want to devote myself in graduate school and beyond. I realized it is time we start discussing the reputations of political actors in this region of the world to highlight Greece and Cyprus as stable and reliable allies in a neighborhood of instability and unreliability.
From the bottom of my heart, I consider myself so blessed to have been a part of this trip. It opened my eyes, it tuned in my ears, and inspired me to take up this topic as I intend to pursue a PhD in International Relations in the coming years. I will forever be thankful for this experience and only hope that I can one day do my part too to contribute to the promotion of our ethnic homeland in the United States.
Iliana Tzafolias is a recent Monroe Scholar and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the College of William and Mary, where she majored in International Relations with a focus in European Politics. Iliana participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus, sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
“Den xehno; I do not forget.”
By: Alexandra Lahiri
In Cyprus, I saw the words “den xehno” meaning “I do not forget” displayed on posters and painted on walls. These words demonstrated to me how even if there are many people who have forgotten about this mighty nation and the existence of the illegal occupation by Turkey that there are still some who have not forgotten.
The forgetting of history and events that shaped a certain town, country, and the world, is a grave concern because future generations then have the danger of repeating horrible actions, never learning how to overcome a difficult situation. This is why education is a fundamental activity, and the subject of history is one of the most vital tools used by humans to contextualize, learn from, and remember the past.
My experience on the AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip was unforgettable, and the lasting impact will continue to have an effect on my academic and future career plans and goals. I am a first-generation Greek American. My father was born in Aigio, my yiayia was born in Piraeus, and my great-great papou and his family lived in Kalavryta. I am blessed to have visited Greece with my family many times. I enjoy seeing the turquoise waters and being in a place where time seems to slow down. It brings me peace. While on this student trip, the memories I had are also personal and emotional, which I did not expect. Visiting the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I felt heartbroken and infuriated seeing the desecration of Orthodox churches and graves, at the evident lack of respect by the Turkish military. While driving through the occupied area, I felt ashamed I had not known how intense the situation was, as during my entire academic education, I had never learned about the Cyprus Issue.
I am an International Studies major, concentrating in European Studies. The Cyprus Issue is just one example of an incident that was not mentioned in my history textbooks and curriculum. The semester prior to going on this student trip, I took a class on the Holocaust. Before taking the class, my understanding of the Holocaust mostly came from my yiayia telling me of herself as a young girl in Greece during World War II. She had adamant anti-Nazi feelings, as her papou was murdered during the Kalavryta Massacre and she barely survived being locked in a burning schoolhouse with her family. She also told me about Oxi Day, and I also learned about the valiant efforts of the Greek soldiers which delayed the Nazis from entering into the Soviet Union, resulting in the failure of their ‘Operation Barbarossa.’ In my class about World War II, however, there was little to no mention of Greece, and their efforts, which surprised me.
A moment on this foreign policy trip that I will never forget was our visit and discussions at the Hellenic Parliament in Athens. I had observed the outside of the building many times and the evzones performing their stirring marching, but it was a thrill to go on a tour and examine the archives. The highlight was meeting with members of parliament and discussing the bilateral relationship between Greece and the USA. I had the privilege to represent the USA as a student ambassador and advocated that Greece pursue talks with the USA to implement education about Modern Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean’s history and geopolitics.
One of the many takeaways I have from this trip is the significant impact Greece and Cyprus have in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and thus, the world. They are, “pillars of stability in the arc of instability,” as said by many intellectuals during briefings. Greece is continually a strong ally and the relations between Cyprus and the US are at one of the highest levels. Greece’s military are defenders in the Aegean and Mediterranean, and the country offers humanitarian aid and supplies to Ukraine. Cyprus also provides extensive humanitarian aid to Ukraine and to Gaza. I am grateful to have met with high-ranking officials, ambassadors, military officers, and experts during this trip so I now know and will not forget this vital information. Most do not know of the country, Cyprus, much less their influence in their surrounding area, or their predicament of Turkey illegally occupying about 37% of the island. I am one of a few students who had a unique opportunity to have gone on this trip where we learned and saw the terrible effects of the Turkish occupation. We heard stories of families who were forced to move, women who were abused, churches that were desecrated, and people who were and still are missing.
I believe in the sharing of stories and events that shaped history. I wish to analyze the actions that were made that affected the present day, and this trip was a perfect experience where I was able to do so. I aim to contextualize the events regarding the Kalavryta Massacre and to analyze the long-lasting effects of these atrocities in present-day Greece, with the same mindset of stressing the importance of never forgetting.
I will always treasure the weeks travelling to DC, Cyprus, and Greece with the American Hellenic Institute Foundation and my fellow students, discussing the geopolitics relating to countries including the US, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Ukraine, and Israel.
I will not forget my mission. I encourage others to share stories that are not common knowledge, not in the ‘common curriculum,’ and not stressed enough, so future generations can be educated, and defend those whose freedoms and rights suppressed around the world. Hopefully, they will work together so they may live in a world ruled by peaceful international law.
Alexandra Lahiri is a Junior Honors Pre-Law Scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, on the Pre-Law track to graduate in May 2026 pursuing double degrees in International Studies with a Concentration in European Studies, and Music. Alexandra participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Photographs:
Alexandra Lahiri speaking at the Hellenic Parliament in Athens, Greece.
Alexandra Lahiri speaking at the AHI Reception at the Grande Bretagne.
Cyprus: Hope Hidden in the Destruction
Anastasia Petridis
Why is it that my first visit to Cyprus was overshadowed by the dark 50th anniversary of a heinous military act that still persists today? How is this still reality?
When I was selected to go on the AHIF student foreign policy trip, I arrived as an eager student excited to travel to Cyprus for the first time along with my new peers. After witnessing the atrocities of the Cyprus Issue, these questions continuously lingered in my mind. As a Greek American with no personal ties to Cyprus, I feel ashamed to say I was ignorant of a critical situation taking place.
When we first entered the occupied area, I felt an emotion that can only be described as a feeling of dread. I felt the agony of the land and the bloodshed it bore fifty years ago. The chaos and destruction caused by the invasion by Turkey has been suppressed by the walls of abandoned buildings, the United Nations, and the world, keeping Cyprus broken and unacknowledged by the public eye.
We visited destroyed, neglected, and crumbling Greek Orthodox churches and desecrated cemeteries. We saw the disrespect that the occupiers show for Hellenic heritage and culture which is simply not present for Turkish culture in the Republic of Cyprus. One stark example is the rapid building of elaborate mosques that take over the otherwise empty fields. They intend to overshadow the remaining Orthodox churches in size and grandeur; on the free side, churches and their bell towers are kept in similar size and height to mosques and their minarets out of respect for both religions.
Varosha, a city of just under 40,000 Greek Cypriots, who fled fearing a massacre, sits abandoned and a shell of what it once was, on the occupied side. A city that is guarded by fences, barbed wire, and the Turkish army–a NATO army, which occupies a country of the EU. Sitting hidden behind several posters that prohibit photography, the world can remain in ignorance of the crimes committed there.
Famagusta, where there are illegal pedestrian beaches and beach-side restaurants by the crystal-clear water, is another location that showcases shocking activity by Turkish-controlled forces. Habitants of the occupied area willfully cross the large barrier fences–meant to keep civilians out of the decaying city–and swim with the haunting sight of ethnic cleansing behind them.
The UN buffer zone, a carefully protected area which we had the incredible opportunity to visit, sits in an area described as “frozen in time.” As one of few civilian groups able to enter the old Nicosia International Airport, it was surreal to be in these areas which have been kept in nearly the same condition as during the fighting in 1974. What struck most of us was finding a baggage tag on the filthy floor of the airport from when the invasion started. What affected me most, besides the tag stamped to go to Frankfurt, was the decrepit seats in the gates at each terminal, which were once used daily and now sit gathering dust and covered in bird waste.
A discarded Olympic Airways baggage tag heading to Frankfurt, Germany, on the floor of the abandoned Nicosia International Airport. Photo by Anastasia Petridis
This is all without mentioning the fact that the Turkish-controlled government has been committing clear genocidal tactics against Greek Cypriots, including the illegal movement of people from the Turkish mainland into the occupied area, illegal development in the occupied area, and erasure of Hellenic culture and history. The Turkish-controlled government also presents constant hesitations in working with the Committee of Missing Persons in Cyprus for fear of uncovering evidence of their illegal activities both during the invasion and their current occupation.
It is truly and undeniably a privilege to be so far removed from this problem. For Greeks, it can be difficult to connect with the issue since it seems so far away. As an American, it is even harder. I find myself frustrated at the lack of information that people–Greek Americans, Americans, and even native Greeks–have about the invasion and the critical state that Cyprus has been in for the last fifty years.
Turkey’s blatant and consistent refusal to abide by international laws and their illegal occupation of Cyprus unjustly remains a footnote to be ignored in all international conversations. The intentional destruction of Greek Cypriot spirit and history should not go unnoticed.
While I still don’t have the answers to my questions, I still feel that a reunified Cyprus, a removal of Turkish troops, and a restoration of peace is possible.
I see it in the continuing efforts to find and reunite missing persons from the conflict with their families. I see it in the cracks of geopolitical awareness that are growing amongst my generation. I see it in the interest thousands have in the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza. I feel the hope growing for justice in Cyprus. But we cannot just sit back and wait for it to happen. I know now that the task is up to us, to fight for a peaceful, whole, free Cyprus. My experience on this trip is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I will fight for occupied Cyprus until I no longer have to. ΔΕΝ ΞΕΧΝΩ.
Anastasia Petridis is a Dean’s List student pursuing a degree in Journalism with a minor in Pre-Law at Emerson College. Anastasia participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus, sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Why Cyprus Is Important to Me
Charles W. Euripides
Fifty years ago, Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite and the crossroads of civilization, was brutally invaded and divided by Turkish armed forces in violation of the rule of international law. This summer, I had the opportunity to visit Cyprus and Greece and to discuss foreign policy initiatives with their key leaders as part of the American Hellenic Institute Foundation college student foreign policy trip. Although many pertinent foreign policy issues were discussed on this trip, I was particularly affected by the pathos of the illegal Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
During the July 20, 1974, invasion of Cyprus, over 4,500 Greek Cypriots were killed, and another 1,500 went missing as a direct result of Turkish aggression. Countless women were raped and brutalized, and the Turkish army forcibly seized the ancestral homes of over 200,000 Greek Cypriots under the pretext of bringing 'peace' to the island. The invasion of Cyprus is a blight upon the European continent and a disgrace to the civilized world. Yet, despite the well-documented atrocities committed by the Turkish Army, the invasion and occupation are largely ignored by the European community. The status quo, though hardly accepted, continues fifty years later, while other international crises, such as the invasion of Ukraine and the invasion of Gaza, garner front-page news throughout Europe and the world.
As the grandson of a Greek Cypriot, from the occupied village of Karavas, this trip had a profound meaning to me. When we visited the occupied area of Cyprus, I was overcome with an unsettling feeling. As we drove through the region, I imagined what it looked like before it was stripped of life by Turkish invading forces. As we toured the deserted towns, we saw desecrated Greek cemeteries, and religious sites, with the crosses destroyed, entire towns once vibrant with life and culture, now abandoned, and areas once resplendent with life and commerce, now idle and listless in the summer day.
When we met with the Committee of Missing Persons, we heard stories about Cypriot families with familial or otherwise close connections to missing persons from the invasion. Fifty years later, the pain and sorrow of the missing still haunt the faces of the living. This part of the trip was of particular interest to me, as my uncle Kyriacos Yettimis, a Second Lieutenant with the 120th Heavy Infantry unit of the Cypriot National Guard, was officially missing from July 22, 1974, to 2018. He was last seen in the Saint Georgios region, guarding the road to Kyrenia in the face of the Turkish assault on the city. In 2018, his remains were recovered in a mass grave recovery operation by the UN. This recovery brought closure to my family, who had no idea of his whereabouts for several decades.
As a child, I had visited the occupied area, but I did not fully understand the brutality of the armed invasion of 1974. During this trip, I gained greater knowledge about the invasion, and it was an emotionally poignant and eye-opening experience for me.
The first-hand inspections of occupied territories, meetings with key officials including the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Greek Cypriot representative of the Committee of Missing Persons, Leonidas Pantelides, as well as meetings with several business leaders in Nicosia, and Larnaca, provided me with valuable insight of the complex problems Cyprus will continue to face as it grows, economically, and develops trade relationships in both Europe and Asia. These meetings also helped me contextualize Cyprus' strategic value as an economic and defensive partner for the United States.
As a Cypriot American, I will advocate the strategic importance of Cyprus to the U.S. and the unreliability of Turkey as an ally. Turkey has shown consistently to be a malign actor perpetuating genocide against its neighbors (including the Kurds) and threatening the seizure of Greek islands. Further, Turkey has been unreliable to other Western allies in the past. On the contrary, Cyprus has shown itself to be a reliable geostrategic partner. It has worked with the U.S. to facilitate the transport of aid into the Gaza Strip and with the U.S. on the state-of-the-art CYCLOPS training facility. Furthermore, it is a stable country with Western values in a region filled with instability and military conflict. It would be in the United States' best interest to reevaluate its relationship with Turkey and facilitate the removal of Turkish troops from the occupied region of Cyprus.
Ultimately, this trip highlighted the impact of the Turkish invasion on Cyprus and the multifaceted nature of foreign policy. I realized how critical it is for people to become informed on foreign policy issues like the Cyprus problem, even if they do not dominate the news cycle. If the public becomes more informed, movements can galvanize over underrepresented conflicts like the occupation of Cyprus and there is potential for meaningful policy change. Until then, it is the job of Greek Americans and Cypriot Americans to educate our peers on the conflict, advocate to our politicians, and never give up on pursuing justice for Cyprus.
Charlie Euripides is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University (Lexington, Virginia) majoring in Politics and minoring in Film and Visual Studies. He participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Morals Based Foreign Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean
Drew Lambert
The depth of the Greek culture is such that lifetimes and generations can, and have, been devoted to understanding ancient complexities, intricacies, and details. While this work is fascinating and has intrinsic value, unfortunately, it tends to overshadow the importance of modern Greece in the American public eye, leading not only to a lack of knowledge on the intricacies of modern Greece and Cyprus, but also issues facing Greece and Cyprus today.
Thus, while I personally learned a great deal from traveling in Greece and Cyprus with the American Hellenic Institute Foundation, I am struck with more questions: notably, how to share this knowledge, so Greece and Cyprus play a more prominent role in the American public consciousness today; and next, to share this knowledge with others; and finally, how to turn knowledge into action, which is in my opinion, the great difficulty of the information age.
Throughout June 2024, I have been consistently challenged as I learned the fascinating perspectives of a wide range of public, private, military, and diplomatic leaders from the US, Cyprus, and Greece. Even from observing the environment around me I noticed so many things, especially in Cyprus: the striking Nicosia Airport that is frozen in the buffer zone; the blatant flat banner of occupying flags posted on an outcropping where the buffer zone comes to inches at Nicosia’s Venetian walls; the importance of Byzantine symbolism to Greece and Cyprus; and seeing the massive occupying flag on the mountainside, and the agony it has caused for our driver for so long.
Indeed, I can confidently say that I learned something new not simply every day, but rather with every conversation. This learning was not simply facts and figures, such as details treaties like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or experiences, like hearing the call to prayer from the Greek ambassador’s residence right on the Buffer Zone, but also a great diversity of perspectives.
Why must ideas of nation-state tear countries and people apart? It is one thing for colonial Britian to encourage conflict between Turkish Cypriots and Greece Cypriots to maintain a foothold on their decaying empire, and another to tolerate this dynamic today, even if it is through a lack of public awareness. The worst part is, there is no question that we are capable of much more, and indeed, public consciousness has improved such that respect for Human Rights and respect for sovereignty are uncontroversial tenants of our beliefs, even if we falter in their application.
When the violated rights of a community include an inability to return home, of desecrated graves, destroyed religious sites, and stolen art, then how can the Cyprus Issue possibly receive any sort of precedence? And yet it is the greatest tragedy of all that we turn our eyes, or forget entirely, when blood is not being spilled. For to forget, is to legitimize. To forget, is to allow this wound to fester. And although it may have healed on the surface, the pain remains, stinging with every reminding touch, like the occupying flag set in stone above the hills of Nicosia; a constant reminder of scars that have not been allowed to heal.
We can set this issue right. We need not and must not pick the interest of one ally over others. Despite the complexity of the issue, there is ultimately one actor primarily enabling and encouraging the occupation of Cyprus and irredentism in the Aegean, and that is the Turkish government. We must actively demonstrate our commitment to our most fundamental values on the global stage.
Thank you again to the AHI Foundation’s Foreign Policy Trip for enabling my deepened understanding of, and engagement with, these issues. This is a fundamental experience that enabled me to live my interests, feel a great activity of soul, and understand my life journey.
Drew Lambert is a sophomore at Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs and minoring in Modern Greek. He participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Cyprus: A Slow Progression to Restoration
By Ernest Owen
“It doesn't matter how you say it… the eye doesn’t lie. It’s surreal. This is why I say this is exactly the situation.” Those were the words of Ambassador Andreas S. Kakouris, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Cyprus, during our meeting while we visited as members of the 2024 AHIF Foreign Policy Trip. What he referred to was the illegal occupation of almost a third of the island of Cyprus by the Turkish government that has been going on to this very day for the last fifty years. It is a tragedy that has affected governments, people, and the international community for a long time. “Peace is not the absence of war,” he said, as he went on to say what happened in 1974 was a violation of human rights and international law; nothing more, nothing less. And many would agree with him, justifiably.
During our visit to the island, we met Titina Loizidou, who gave us a brief history lesson on the nation we were visiting, from when the first human settlers arrived in the 12th millennium BC, to the birth of the Republic of Cyprus in August 1960. However, the most impactful part of her lesson was when Loizidou told us she was a child who saw the invasion and the division, and who was refused to go back to her home in the now-occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. The actions of the Turkish mainland on that day have left scars on people such as her and many others, but that does not mean that the government of Cyprus would concede and accept that things can’t change. Most the natives from the Turkish occupied area have left, with settlers coming over and altering the demographic map of the area. These settlement policies are illegal, with several of the local churches having been destroyed, with some of them having been converted to mosques. And such actions can place untold stress on those who lived through the event years ago.
The Republic of Cyprus is part of the Western world. Cyprus has worked with the United States in conducting joint training exercises, while also sharing a common identity with Greece, operating with Greece since the nation’s birth. Cyprus also delivered on its president’s promise to the European Union of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Today, the country is a modern democracy, trying to ensure peace and prosperity for all its citizens in a geologically strategic region where Russia, China, and Iran are trying to be the leading country.
During a meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, he said, “Cyprus is the solution to a lot of problems in the region. This is a region of great importance.” To him, the solution of the Cyprus problem is his top priority. But this isn’t an ideal world, so he needs to show there is an added volume to solving the problem. Although mainland Turkey can try to hold onto their grasp, the international community has begun to see the Republic of Cyprus as a reliable and democratic ally in a region of uncertainty, giving hope to all.
Ernest Owen, a student at George Mason University, will be graduating in the spring of 2025 with a Bachelor's Degree in Art and Visual Technology. Ernest participated in the 2024 AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus, sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
What the world has covered up leaving us to fight for it with our voice
Evelina Kynigopoulos
“What comes to mind when you hear Greece and Cyprus?”
“Greece is on my bucket list of places I want to visit at some point in my life; the beaches there are so pretty.”
“I want to go to Santorini and Mykonos so badly.”
“Cyprus? Where is that? Are you talking about a small country near the Middle East and across Turkey?”
Growing up, I would hear all the above statements from classmates, friends, strangers, teachers, etc. That’s about it. While we were discussing in my college world history class about the World Wars and the Civil War, Greece was mentioned briefly once for a split second. I am thankful that, as a Greek, I know my history on a deeper level than history teachers are willing to discuss and know that it certainly is more significant than historians and history books present it to be. Similarly, the Republic of Cyprus and what happened to the country in 1974 should be mentioned and taught to people that don’t know the history and to spread awareness as to what happened since it was a historical and important event that shifted and split the country.
Before knowing about the American Hellenic Institute and the American Hellenic Institute Foundation, I had no knowledge of the Cyprus invasion, the occupied area, the UN green line, or that the Republic of Cyprus is split into two parts. Numerous Greek Cypriots try to raise awareness about the Republic of Cyprus, but others don’t talk about it because it may be hard for them, which is understandable because the only people that truly know about what has happened and live it every day are the Greek Cypriots. The week we went to Cyprus, we visited the occupied area. Upon entering, we could see the Turkish flag and another flag that is flown by Turkey to represent the Turkish occupied area. We visited Greek and Turkish cemeteries that were placed right next to each other. You could tell one from the other because the all the crosses in the Greek cemetery were torn off and destroyed, and not even cleaned up, leaving them there to show their vandalism and disrespect to the dead. The Turkish cemetery next to it was filled with flowers and very well maintained.
The emotions that overcame me at the moment will haunt me for the rest of time. Certainly, if an outsider like me can feel that something has been taken from them, I can’t imagine what the people of the Republic of Cyprus must be feeling and enduring with the flags at the Pentadaktylou mountain as a reminder each day that the invasion took place. This is their reality—seeing their home is still under the control of someone else who illegally came in and took it from them.
One of the other students on the trip is from the occupied zone, an area called Kyrenia. He recounted how he visited Kyrenia alongside his grandfather, and they went to his grandfather’s old childhood home. His grandfather saw a family of strangers living in his childhood home. My heart broke when I heard that, since his grandfather was exiled and forced to leave his home and village behind in order to not get killed. It is even sadder that his grandfather never got to see his village or the Republic of Cyprus united again with the other side. He died knowing he couldn’t visit his childhood home or village since there was nothing left for him there that could remind him of his childhood and strangers living inside of it.
Many professionals and diplomats throughout our journey to Washington, Greece, and Cyprus were very careful with their wording when they talked about Cyprus, calling it the “Cyprus problem.” When I thought about it, I said to myself, it’s very easy to separate emotions and to speak in a cold way about the subject with just facts if you don’t know the history and the subject doesn’t have an impact on your life directly.
This experience was eye-opening and unique, and I will definitely utilize it in the future when I return to Washington. I will voice and continue to advocate for the Cypriots and the invasion that has marked 50 years of division today. I will never forget what happened and what I saw with my own eyes. Never.
Evelina Kynigopoulos is a junior at George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) majoring in International Affairs. She participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Do You Hear It?
Giorgio Gianoulis
“Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.” — Aristotle
Do you know about Cyprus? Do you know where it is? And to whom the land belongs?
The Republic of Cyprus is an independent island nation located in the Eastern Mediterranean. In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus illegally claiming its people were under duress. However, before the illegal Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974, the Greek Cypriots, who comprised the overwhelming majority of the population, and the Turkish Cypriots co-existed on the island. The Turkish invasion uprooted Greek Cypriots from their homes, destroyed their livelihoods, and desecrated their churches and cemeteries. For the last fifty years, Turkey has unlawfully occupied 37% of Cyprus.
The Greece I knew growing up was a place of comfort surrounded by my extended family. I only had a cursory understanding of the Cyprus Problem and had seen the Mediterranean in a different light. To broaden my political understanding of Greece and Cyprus, I decided to participate in the AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Program.
Greece and Cyprus lie in the middle of the “instability arc” that plagues Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. However, Greece and Cyprus offer military and democratic support to the United States by housing American ships and aircraft at their respective naval bases. This critical alliance combats terrorism in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The Turkish military presence in Cyprus and around the Greek islands is unlawful and antagonistic. Furthermore, Turkey claims to have sovereign rights under its “Blue Homeland Policy” over Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. This false Turkish narrative embodies a revisionist agenda that violates international laws and maritime Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). Erdoğan is unwilling to work with Greece and Cyprus to find solutions.
What we saw validated the reality of the illegal occupation of Cyprus. There was dead silence as our passenger van crawled up to the UN checkpoint. Five of my peers and I were sitting in the back of the van as our supervisor and AHIF CEO, Nick Larigakis, handed our passports over to a stern guard wearing a border patrol jacket. We waited anxiously to be granted access into the United Nations green-line buffer zone that cuts right through the island. After what felt like an eternity, we were allowed to pass through into the Turkish occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. Within seconds I noticed a stark difference in scenery from the free area to the illegally occupied region. I saw a vast emptiness that depicted a dark and desolate place. Signs and billboards were riddled with Turkish words and the buildings seemed dilapidated and abandoned. Mosques now occupied the Greek Orthodox churches and Greek cemeteries were desecrated. The Turks threw out the Greek Cypriots and confiscated their homes, lands, and businesses. Turkey repopulated these areas with its own citizens to serve as settlers and to be a dividing force on the island. The most impactful sight was a large engraving in the mountain displaying the Turkish flag. This flag was even visible from the free area and Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. This sight is a constant torment to the Cypriots who cannot escape the horrors of the invasion from fifty years ago.
From that point on I knew my understanding of Cyprus and Greece would forever be different. I had to educate my classmates, teachers, and friends about the atrocities suffered on the island during the summer of 1974 and thereafter. Fifty years later, Greek Cypriots have not been reunited with their homeland, properties, and places of worship. Turkey has not reciprocated its allegiance to the United States, to NATO, or to the European Union. Greece and Cyprus have proven they are true allies to the US and to these entities. They are stabilizing forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Cyprus Problem must be put at the forefront of our American agenda.
The US and the world must send a strong message to Turkey to end its unlawful occupation of Cyprus and its severe violations of human rights and breaches of international law. It is ironic that Turkey is trying to become a European Union member when it illegally occupies Cyprus, an existing member of the European Union. No other country in the world, except Turkey, recognizes the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” Russia invading Ukraine is a distinct parallel to what happened in Cyprus fifty years ago. The free world united behind Ukraine but continues to remain silent about Cyprus. The world’s tolerance of Turkey’s illegal invasion and its apathy to intervene foreshadows the demise of a society, just as Aristotle predicted.
Do You Hear It? …….The Silence is Deafening.
Giorgio Gianoulis recently graduated from Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas) with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and minors in Biology & Chemistry. He will pursue a Master’s in Accounting from Trinity University in the Fall of 2024. Giorgio participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
The Diplomat’s Graveyard: The Cyprus Problem Fifty Years Later
Melina Piperis
As the sun rose on July 20, 2024, Cyprus marked half a century since Turkey’s illegal invasion of the island. Just months ago, I knew none of the following: Turkey’s continued occupation of Cyprus or the American government’s reluctance to take certain actions in response. But the American Hellenic Institute Foundation Foreign Policy Study Trip laid bare the atrocities of 1974 and stoked a fire in me to learn about the plight of the Cypriot people—and America’s role in it.
Our trip began with a briefing by members of the United States Foreign Service, and I was eager to learn about America’s role in the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus has proven to be a reliable ally to the U.S. Despite decades of foreign occupation, the Cypriot government has consistently upheld its democracy outside of the occupied zone and maintained cooperation with its allies. In light of this, I expected to meet American diplomats to be more committed to solving the Cyprus problem. The reluctance of the American diplomats shocked me. The Foreign Service members we met considered the Cyprus Issue difficult to solve. One called Cyprus the “diplomat’s graveyard,” in reference to the history of failed attempts to solve the issue.
The Republic of Cyprus has supported America’s foreign policy objectives for decades. During the current war in Gaza, the Cypriot government initiated the Humanitarian Maritime Corridor, volunteering to serve as an evacuation site for American citizens fleeing Israel and Gaza and transporting American aid to the region. Cyprus also supported the United States after Russia invaded Ukraine by banning Russian vessels from refueling in Cypriot ports. Despite this continual cooperation and support, the United States has not committed the proper amount of dedication to ensuring the Cyprus issue is resolved. What more can a small island country do to prove its loyalty and stability?
In comparable circumstances, like Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, the United States has led the charge against wrongful aggressors. In that war’s early days, President Biden called Putin’s actions, “an assault on the very principles that uphold global peace,” putting freedom in danger all around the world. As of July 2024, the United States has provided approximately $54.4 billion to Ukraine since Russia’s initial invasion in 2014. Considering this overwhelming support for Ukraine—in the form of both words and arms—America’s lack of action towards Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus evinces a double standard.
The United States’ failure to assist the Republic of Cyprus reveals a conflict of interest. In a briefing on Cypriot history, PhD candidate Gregory Graves explained the complexities of American interests in the eastern Mediterranean. In 1974, the United States was unwilling to prevent Turkey’s invasion. Members of the government, such as Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, were concerned with opium cultivation in Turkey, impacting their decision to remain neutral. Despite pressure to call for a ceasefire, the United States refused. As Graves explained, they chose economic interest over democracy. Kissinger even stated there was “no American reason why the Turks should not have one third of Cyprus.”
Before the invasion, Cyprus was home to thriving Greek and Turkish communities. Citizens of each ethnicity were dispersed throughout the island, without little religious or cultural divide. The Turkish troops’ occupation of the island, however, has dismantled the nation’s social fabric. The Turkish government has forced Greek Cypriots to relocate, ethnically cleansing the island in support of their desired two-state solution. These actions directly violate the United Nations Charter, to which Turkey and Cyprus are both signatories.
As I observed the Turkish-occupied area with AHIF, disappointment and sadness overwhelmed me. I could hardly bear the ruins of churches and houses scattered throughout the occupied zone. Walking on the coastline of the abandoned city of Famagusta, I was surrounded by destruction and lifelessness. Nearby, the rubble of 1974 loomed over a newly developed beach. I felt that no one who actually lays eyes on the occupied zone could remain silent afterwards.
The Cyprus Issue may be referred to as “the diplomat’s graveyard,” but far greater losses have taken place there. An island once home to thriving Greek and Turkish communities is now an example of shameless ethnic cleansing. Lands once belonging to a free people are now stripped and abandoned, their homes sacked, and their cemeteries desecrated. Turkish officials build casinos and use churches as animal stables. We should demand more from our own government; we should demand justice in Cyprus.
Melina Piperis is a junior at Boston College, double majoring in History and Classical Cultures. She participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Heritage, Conflict, and Hope: An Introduction to the Cyprus Problem
Sophia Pezeshkan
There is a difference between hearing about something, learning about it, and seeing it firsthand.
Growing up, I spent my summers in bliss, wandering around the golden sand beaches and luminescent coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. My mother is from Limassol, a booming, diverse city on the southern coast of Cyprus. This area of Cyprus is not visibly impacted by the Cyprus Problem, yet the effects of the invasion plague its citizens. My grandfather, who was the district leader of Limassol during the Cypriot struggle for independence in 1960, later became an ambassador for the Republic of Cyprus. I often heard stories of Cyprus’ progression to independence and its subsequent occupation not even fifteen years later.
Although these stories saturated my mind during the fourteen-hour journey to visit my family, I was never able to feel the implications of the Turkish invasion until the AHIF student foreign policy trip.
Meeting the cohort of ten other students in D.C. was daunting; these peers would be my companions for the next three weeks. Upon attending our first meeting with the U.S. State Department, it became evident that we were all on the same mission – to learn more about our heritage and discover how we can shape our futures as Greek Americans and Cypriot Americans.
While in D.C., we discussed the bilateral relations of Cyprus and Greece with the United States. Meetings with the Greek and Cypriot embassies were enlightening. The diplomats explained how the United States’ relations with both countries were at an all-time high. They emphasized the key role Cyprus plays in America’s relations with the Middle East, describing it as a pillar of stability in these extremely unstable times. I immediately felt pride for the small island my family calls home, a country that most of my friends do not even know exists.
Upon arriving in Cyprus, we were greeted by the humid summer air of Larnaca. The day after we arrived, it was planned for us to visit the Turkish occupied area. At border control, I was hit by a wave of nausea. The surrounding signs welcomed our cars to the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” unrecognized by any country except for Turkey. The immediate shift in energy dawned upon us all.
New, shining houses stood adjacent to those that were run-down and destroyed. Orthodox churches had been ravaged and converted into mosques, bars, and museums, and Greek cemeteries lay in ruins.
But what stood out most were the blazing flags of Türkiye and the unrecognized “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” engraved and illuminated on Mount Pentadaktylos. The flags, spanning 1,398 feet, can be seen even from the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. They serve as a relentless reminder of the homes forcibly taken from the Cypriots and of the land the Republic of Türkiye claims as its own.
Throughout the week, we met with Cypriot officials and organizations who explained the invasion's underlying consequences. After the Turkish invasion, one-third of the Cypriot population became refugees in their own homeland. With the Committee on Missing Persons, we learned that over 2,000 Cypriots went missing during the unrest of both 1960s and 1974, and over 900 still have not been found. Along with that, post invasion, over hundreds of Cypriot women were raped and, since then, an estimated 300,000 illegal Turkish settlers arrived in the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus. It is essential to remember that the absence of war does not mean there is peace.
Despite this, there is hope. On our last day in Cyprus, the United States and Cyprus agreed on key issues regarding defense, security, energy, crisis management, and the fight against terrorism. Cypriot and American politicians emphasized Cyprus’s peacekeeping roles, such as their success with the Maritime Humanitarian Corridor and the CYCLOPS training center in Cyprus funded by the U.S.
From this trip, I have a newfound desire to educate my peers at home about the issues plaguing the Republic of Cyprus. As a student who was given the opportunity to see the Turkish-occupied area and converse with leaders responsible for solving the Cyprus Problem, I have learned that it is now my responsibility to share how one can engage with their political representatives to continue to advocate for Hellenic relations with the United States and help one day solve the Cyprus Problem.
Sophia Pezeshkan is a rising junior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in global business and minoring in modern Greek language and classics. She participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
AHIF Foreign Policy Trip 2024: Experiences and Tools Gained for Future Impact
Penelope Grapsas
As a Greek American college student, with deep roots in her Greek heritage and great aspirations of future civic service, I believe that the American Hellenic Institute’s Foreign Policy Trip helped to further my interdisciplinary education in foreign policy and diplomacy. The experience did so in a way that furthered my knowledge of critical international issues, propelling me forward in my career exploration. It also exemplified my greatly valued heritage. More importantly, the program provided me the lived experiences and tools to impact my local and international communities and to garner awareness for critical issues that I culturally resonate with within Greek, American, and Cypriot relations.
After departing from Washington D.C. with a clear understanding of the American political stance on issues within Cyprus and Greece, I was able to approach the experiences in both nations with tailored goals for what I wanted to intellectually and personally gain. As a student with a passion for civic engagement, and with parents from Greece, I knew I wanted to gain a clear understanding of the ways I can promote bilateral cooperation on issues important to the U.S. This included gaining personal perspectives of the issues plaguing Cypriot and Greek citizens, a greater understanding of the interactions of government agencies and private organizations with those based in the U.S., and specific recommendations for areas of engagement which can be strengthen by the Greek American and Cypriot American communities.
The AHIF Foreign Policy Trip helped me to achieve these goals in more ways that I can put into words. Starting in Cyprus, we were given invaluable perspectives of the Cyprus issues from government officials, agencies such as the Committee for Missing Persons, military officials, and Cypriot citizens. Aside from learning about the American policy changes I could advocate for as an American college student, I gained the firsthand experience of entering illegally occupied Cyprus, seeing the illegal border demarcations, and walking through the abandoned Nicosia airport and desecrated Greek Orthodox churches. While we as college students are limited in the scope of influence we have over foreign policy, the policy trip equipped me with the tools necessary to spur change. These tools include: maintaining contact with organizations in Cyprus and raising awareness for the goals they share with the U.S., writing in student publications and journals about the Cyprus Issue and the illegal occupation, hosting events on my college campus raising awareness for these issues with presentations and guest speakers, and rallying peers to reach out to our government officials in an effort to express constituent concern for these issues of international concern.
When we arrived in Greece, we continued our stops with a fruitful combination of Greek government offices, military bases in Salamina and Souda Bay, NGOs and research hubs, as well as private businesses of enterprise and investment. Similar to the experiences we had in Cyprus, the knowledge gained from those with whom we met gave us a niche understanding of the ways the Greek American community can help itself and the diaspora in areas of foreign policy and cultural awareness. I feel as though I returned to the United States with clear action-items: informing others about the importance of Greek-American military ties to foreign affairs and the economic power of the Greek shipping industry, contributing presentations and lessons of Greek history and political issues to my university community, advocating for modern Greek history courses as my university, and recruiting Greek American peers in efforts to spread awareness of Greece’s crucial role in international affairs and American political interests.
While it is hard to put into words the extent of which the AHIF Foreign Policy Trip has impacted my academic and professional trajectory, it is critical to understand that the experiences that can be gained on this trip care unique and incomparable to any experience which could be gained from a classroom, internship, or study abroad experience. Furthermore, the importance of this trip lies partly in the gaining of these experiences, but primarily in the ability which is given to program members to impart such unique perspectives and knowledge on community members who will never have the opportunity to have such experiences. It is impossible to have every Greek American student meet with the President of Cyprus, learn about missing person efforts from Cypriot government agencies, visit active-duty military warships and naval crews in Salamina, or converse with ministers at Greek Parliament about the diaspora. But, as a part of the small group of students who have now lived these experiences, I have the power to shape these experiences into impactful engagement with the community of students who may not be able to experience the same things, but who have just as much capability at impacting their own community, and to influence public awareness and American policy. The AHIF Foreign Policy Trip has indelibly guided my academic and professional path in a way which has offered me clarity of my passions, and specific goals for my engagement with my Greek American heritage and community. I am proud to say that I was a member of this year’s cohort and am an unwavering supporter of the program’s continuance in its mission and impact.
Penelope Grapsas is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania double-majoring in Economics and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, as well as a Minor in Ancient History. She participated in the sixteenth annual AHIF College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.
Speaking with Ministers of the Hellenic Parliament (first on the right).
Visit to the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs (middle).
2024 Participants … In Their Own Words
Charles W. Euripides is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He is majoring in politics with a minor in film and visual culture.
“The American Hellenic Institute foreign policy trip was an extraordinary opportunity to meet prominent topic experts and foreign policy leaders from the United States, Cyprus, and Greece. Over the course of three short weeks, we explored the foreign policy sphere from a military, economic, and strategic perspective. Additionally, we examined first-hand the impacts of the 1974 invasion of Cyprus. As a Cypriot American with family members killed in the invasion, I felt a special calling to learn more about the invasion and steps being taken to resolve the ongoing occupation. This trip gave me a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of Greek and Cypriot issues that I can now take back to the United States and use to inform my peers.”
Evelina Kynigopoulos is a junior attending The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is majoring in international affairs.
“It was an eye opening and once in a lifetime experience that allows you to see Greece and Cyprus from a political aspect. The knowledge someone can acquire and the experience someone can obtain could potentially open new doors of future opportunities relevant to US diplomatic ties with Greece and Cyprus. Through this experience I got to truly see AHI in action, how it operates, and how it fights to spread awareness while representing US interests and the relations among Cyprus and Greece. It was an insightful and educational trip that allowed us to meet professionals in the area of foreign policy sector. This trip influenced me to want to be more involved and advocate for the things I saw with my own eyes, from the occupied area, the UN buffer zone to the transformation of an unrecognizable place and marking Cyprus with the Turkish flag and a new one that they have to represent that area.”
Giorgio Gianoulis graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and with minors in biology and chemistry. He will pursue a master’s degree in accounting from Trinity University this fall.
“The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus broadened my knowledge of US-Greece-Cyprus relations. Before coming on the trip, I had no previous foreign policy experience or political science background. I ventured into new territory because I am deeply connected to my Greek roots and wanted to learn about the illegal invasion of Cyprus that occurred in 1974. I also wanted to see an unconventional side of Greece & Cyprus, in a political and professional setting. The AHIF trip sparked an interest in me to stay involved in the US political climate with Greece and Cyprus and to advocate for my homeland and the liberation of Cyprus. I am now strongly considering a future in foreign policy.”
Penelope Grapsas is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. She is pursuing a double major in economics and philosophy, politics, and economics with a minor in ancient history.
“As a Greek American college student, with deep roots in her Greek heritage and great aspirations of future civic service, I believe that the American Hellenic Institute’s Foreign Policy Trip helped to further my interdisciplinary education in foreign policy and diplomacy. The experience did so in a way that furthered my knowledge of critical international issues, propelling me forward in my career exploration. It also exemplified my greatly valued heritage. More importantly, the AHIF Foreign Policy program provided me with the lived experiences and tools to impact my local and international communities, and to garner awareness for critical issues that I culturally resonate with Greek, American, and Cypriot relations.”
Alexandra Lahiri is a Junior Honors Pre-Law Scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is on the pre-law track to graduate in May 2026, pursuing double degrees in international studies with a concentration in European studies, and music with a concentration in voice. She also is pursuing double minors in Latin and classical studies.
“My experience on the AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip was unforgettable, and the lasting impact will continue to have an effect on my academic and future career plans and goals. I had the honor and privilege to represent the United States of America as a student ambassador at the Hellenic Parliament where I advocated that Greece pursue talks with the USA to implement education about Modern Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean’s history and geopolitics. One of the many takeaways that I have from going on this trip is the significant impact Greece and Cyprus have in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and thus, the world. They are, “pillars of stability in the arc of instability,” and I am grateful to have attended meetings and briefings with high-ranking officials, ambassadors, military officers, and experts regarding the international relations between countries including the U.S., Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Ukraine, and Israel.”
Drew Lambert is a sophomore at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. He is majoring in science, technology, and international affairs with a minor in modern Greek.
“Throughout the American Hellenic Institute’s trip, not only did I get to engage deeper with Greek and Cypriots issues, I also, genuinely, learned something new every day, and, amazingly, this deluge of information has only left me with a thirst for more knowledge. For instance, I learned how: Greek shipping makes up 20% of global trade, and additionally makes up 60% of European trade; and the grey zones theory and the importance of καστελλόριζο; Throughout the trip, I should have been exhausted. And yet, I wasn’t. I was in the zone, learning in an intellectually stimulating environment while doing something meaningful. In other words, I was having fun, in an endless string of meetings. It wasn’t only due to the amazing people who were my colleagues for a month, or the distinct perspectives of people we were speaking with, it was, ultimately, that these issues are so incredibly fascinating and engaging to me.”
Ernest Owen will graduate from George Mason University in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in art and visual technology and with double minors in illustration and arts management. He is an Eagle Scout.
“This happened. Eleven students from across the United States joined this year’s Foreign Policy Trip, from Washington, to Cyprus and Athens. This happened. We listened as our politicians didn’t say anything that could even potentially allude to what Turkey had done being criminal. This happened. We crossed the occupied zone and saw the desecrated churches and the towering mosques, Turkey’s attempts to make their illegal occupation seem legitimate. This happened. We heard those who experienced this tell us their story of being unable to return to their homes to this day. This happened. We saw the abandoned airport, which has remained frozen in time for the last half a century, and the massive desolate buildings next to the new beach resorts that shouldn’t be there. This happened. All of this really happened. And I would like to make sure that the rest of the world never forgets that this happened.”
Anastasia Petridis is a Dean’s List student at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. A junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Anastasia is pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in pre-law. After graduation, she hopes to attend law school and aims to build a career in journalism or law.
“The AHI student foreign policy trip was an incredible experience that changed my life. This trip gave me the opportunity to visit places and have meetings with people I would have never been able to see otherwise. I could have never imagined being able to travel to Cyprus and not only visit the occupied side, but also see and tour the UN buffer zone and the Nicosia International Airport. My fuel for spreading awareness and continuing to fight for the liberation of Cyprus was found on this trip. I did not originally understand the gravity of the activities and material we were going to encounter on this trip. I had vastly different expectations about the kind of student trip this would be. I was proven wrong almost instantly; I continued to encounter the most interesting, engaging, educating, and genuinely great people and places while on the three-week intensive trip. I owe my greatest thanks to AHI and my peers on this trip for igniting the passion with which I left the program.”
Sophia Pezeshkan is a junior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in global business and minoring in modern Greek language and classics.
“There is a difference between hearing about something, learning it, and seeing it first-hand. Growing up, I spent my summers wandering around the golden and luminescent coast that comprises Limassol, Cyprus. I grew up hearing the stories of the Turkish invasion, but never truly understood its impact. In the Turkish occupied area, we witnessed shining houses adjacent to those destroyed. Orthodox churches were ravaged and converted to mosques and bars, and Greek cemeteries were in ruins. The ICMP explained that over 2,000 Cypriots went missing, 100s of Cypriot women were raped, and, since then, an estimated 300,000 Turkish settlers have illegally moved to the occupied area. Many countries, including the US, refuse to label the division as an “invasion” or “occupation”. This denunciation pulls the country away from successfully finding a solution to the Cyprus Problem. We must remember that the absence of war does not mean there is peace. Cyprus deserves reunification, and we witnessed this first-hand.”
Melina Piperis is a junior at Boston College. She is pursuing a double major in history and classical cultures with a focus on art repatriation. She serves as vice president of the BC Hellenic Society, where she chairs the Society’s annual lecture series and teaches folk dance.
“My experiences on the AHI Student Foreign Policy Study Trip transformed my identity as a Greek American and strengthened my commitment to promote Greek and Cypriot interests in the United States. I am grateful to have learned from Mr. Larigakis, the benefactors of the American Hellenic Institute, and each speaker we met throughout the trip. In Cyprus, I was most impacted by our visit to the occupied area. After witnessing life in the occupied zone, I could no longer live through ignorance, turning a blind eye to the abandonment of not only law, but humanity.
Over the course of the trip, I came to realize the power of the younger generation. We are now equipped to educate fellow students, parents, and local politicians about the realities of Greece and Cyprus. Whether I’m knocking on Pete Ricketts’ door or discussing life in the buffer zone with my brother, these experiences will continue to impact me.”
Iliana Tzafolias is a Monroe Scholar and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the College of William and Mary, where she majored in international relations with a focus in European politics. She graduated with Departmental Honors for her thesis titled, “Defining Greekness: The Effect of Ethnic Identity on Foreign Policy Opinions.”
“From the bottom of my heart, I consider myself so blessed to have been a part of this trip. It opened my eyes, it tuned in my ears, and inspired me to take up this topic of Greek-Turkish relations as I intend to pursue a PhD in International Relations in the coming years. It is time we start discussing the reputations of political actors in this region of the world to highlight Greece and Cyprus as stable and reliable allies in a neighborhood of instability and unreliability. I will forever be thankful for this experience and only hope that I can one day do my part too to contribute to the promotion of our ethnic homeland in the United States.”
The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
For additional information, please contact us at (202) 785-8430 or pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.
